Curing Chronic Headaches With Chiropractic Care

According to the American Chiropractic Association, nine out of ten Americans suffer from some kind of headaches. Most of these sufferers turn to pills to help them handle the pain without ever treating the root of the problem. In fact, the longer you use pills to mask the problem the more you build up a tolerance and are forced to up the dosage. This can lead to a host of problems including intestinal issues and even liver failure.

The key to ridding yourself of headaches is to target the origin of the pain which is often muscle or nerve tension in the neck. Chiropractic techniques such as massage, adjustment and digital motion x-ray can locate the source of the headache and through spinal decompression and other realignment techniques, end the cycle of pain.

So what types of headaches can benefit from chiropractic care? Ninety-five percent of headaches can be classified as primary headaches which are caused by migraines, tension and cervicogenic headaches (originating in the neck). You can think of your spinal cord as the circuit breaker for your body, containing the twenty-four circuits, or vertebrae. Each vertebra is wired along the nerves to every part of your body, including organs, glands and muscles. Any physical stress can impact those circuits and send pain shooting along your nerves, often resulting in those chronic headaches. Chiropractic techniques can be applied to all of these in order to find relief.

Migraine headaches are the result of changes in vascular flow and can be caused by smells, food, changes in weather, hormones or stress. Chiropractic adjustments, including careful manipulation of the spine and neck can reduce nerve irritation and prevent referred pain. It can also lead to improved vascular flow. Tension headaches are usually a product of chronic stress and often are combined with cervicogenic headaches. A chiropractor will use a combination of techniques to relieve pain. They may use their hands for trigger point therapy, massage, and other supporting treatments as well as gentle spinal decompression. Digital motion x-rays may be utilized to locate specific sites of disc injury. A chiropractor may also recommend some light stretches and posture changes that you can do in between treatments or on a regular basis to help prevent recurrences.

The key to finding long-term relief with chiropractic care is to find a chiropractor that you are comfortable with and to make sure to inform your regular care doctor of your new plan. The chiropractor should be able to offer advice about techniques to practice on your own and it is important to follow them regularly! Regular practice on your own and chiropractic care can offer relief to people who have lived with chronic headaches for far too long.